Terminal Kultury Gloclaw, Warsaw, Poland

Concerts, theatre, exhibitions – the Culture Terminal in the Gocław district is one of the central cultural points of contact in Warsaw. But that’s not all: The centre also houses educational opportunities for children and seniors as well as social facilities. So it was definitely a challenge for the architects of Biuro 87a to do justice to the very different needs of the users in the design.

Bringing texture to the facade: RECKLI 2/87 B Ohio

The result is a two-part building that impresses from the outside with clear, minimalist lines. The windows of the upper, higher part – which also houses the stage – are arranged rhythmically. Interesting detail: The facade made of textured concrete, which with its slightly brutalistic look alludes to the towering blocks of flats in the background. The textured matrix 2/87 B Ohio from the RECKLI SELECT series was used for this. The concrete elements were cast in the PEBEK precast plant using class 4 fair-faced concrete.

The facades of the lower part were plastered white and provided with steel cables, on which climbing plants can grow. One immediately notices here the three greenhouses that rise up on the terrace. On closer inspection, there are only two greenhouses – the third hides the technical facilities of the Culture Terminal.

Flexible interior

The interior of the centre is characterised by a spacious lobby opening onto an intimate green courtyard, as well as the multifunctional hall with an auditorium for 400 people. When arranging and designing the remaining interior spaces, the architects made sure that they could be used in as many different ways as possible. And have thus created a place where the very different needs can be harmoniously combined: the Gocław Culture Terminal.